David Byrne is coming to Chicago! I know, intellectually, that I can't buy tickets until they go on sale, on Saturday. However, because I am excited, I've still been checking the Ticketmaster (I refuse to plug them with a link) website occasionally. This is because I am a dork.

I was talking about early English literature the other day with someone and he was appalled by the fact that I hate Beowulf. Well, I do. It's horrible. It's like a cheap splatter movie, only in epic poem form. Not only can I just not get into the language, I can't get into a testosterone-driven monster-slaying gore fest. I KNOW it's about heroism and mythic quests and all that, okay? I just like my mythic questing heroes to be a little less one-dimensional.

There is one good part in Beowulf, however: after Beowulf rips off Grendel's arm, there's a description in the poem about how the warriors took it home and hung it up in the mead hall for all to enjoy. Medieval interior decorating! Put the monster arm up on the wall! I like picturing a bunch of ancient warrior guys going, "Hold it....a little to the left...no, a little more...there, that's it, let me go find the hammer."

Speaking of heroism, Blue Minotaur, by Richard Patterson, is one of my favorite modern paintings. It's huge, and very impressive in person....my favorite thing at the underwhelming "Sensation" show, actually, which I saw in London about 4 years ago. (Warning, big-ass high-resolution file. But cool.)

So, to recap: in general I am not a fan of mythic quests. Even Star Wars leaves me a little cold, to be honest. However, I can make an exception for an oil painting of a little yellow rubber minotaur gazing out into the distance.

I don't really want to know what that says about me.

Tonight I go to see Kronos Quartet. I dig the 20th-century chamber music, dude. So hopefully that will make me happy and not morose about my so-called Squandered Musical Potential and the fact that I rarely play the violin anymore. Of course currently I have an excuse (my pitiful bandaged wrist).

I just re-read this entry and it's pissing me off. I am starting to sound like an overly cultured nitwit. Yes, there's Beowulf, modern art, and chamber music, but please remember there's also macaroni and cheese, Old Style, and World's Wildest Police Videos. I'm a walking contradiction.

Tomorrow is Canada's National Day of Mourning. I wonder if they get today off of work to properly mourn? No real point in mourning on the weekend. Mourn, you Canadians! Mourn! And then be happy again, on Monday.